How they voted

May 25, 2013

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE: Voting 241 for and 175 against, the House on Wednesday passed a bill (HR 3) to approve the building of the Keystone XL Pipeline between the Canadian border and Steele City, Neb. This usurped authority over the project from the executive branch, which is still weighing approval or disapproval of the so-called Northern Route between Canada and Nebraska. This is the final approval needed to complete a nearly 4,000-mile, four-phase Keystone network for shipping crude from tar sands in Alberta to U.S. refineries located in the Midwest and on the Texas Gulf Coast or to U.S. ports for export as crude. A yes vote was to pass the bill.

BAN ON OIL EXPORTS: Voting 162 for and 255 against, the House on Wednesday refused to prohibit U.S. oil companies from exporting crude oil they receive through the Keystone XL pipeline or petroleum products made from that oil. The underlying bill (HR 3, above) has no requirement that the Keystone oil be used to bolster America’s energy independence. A yes vote backed the amendment.

Voting yes: Pocan, Kind, Moore.

Voting no: Ryan, Sensenbrenner, Petri, Duffy, Ribble.

STUDENT-LOAN RATES: Voting 221 for and 198 against, the House on Thursday sent the Senate a Republican bill (HR 1911) setting variable but capped interest rates for Stafford student loans and certain other education loans. For newly issued Stafford loans, the rate would be set annually at the rate for a 10-year Treasury note plus 2.5 percentage points, with a cap of 8.5 percent for undergraduates. At present, interest on Stafford loans is fixed at 3.4 percent, but will rise to 6.8 percent on July 1 unless Congress acts before then to head off the doubling of loan costs. A yes vote was to pass the bill.

(Page 2 of 2)

Voting yes: Ryan, Sensenbrenner, Petri, Duffy, Ribble.

Voting no: Pocan, Kind, Moore.

BAN ON TEASER RATES: Voting 194 for and 223 against, the House on Thursday defeated a Democratic motion barring lenders under HR 1911 (above) from offering teaser rates, and also requiring lenders to give upfront notification of the true or projected total cost of the student loan. A yes vote backed the motion.

Voting yes: Pocan, Kind, Moore.

Voting no: Ryan, Sensenbrenner, Petri, Duffy, Ribble.

FEDERAL SUGAR PROGRAM: Voting 45 for and 54 against, the Senate on Tuesday rejected an amendment to a pending farm bill (S 954) that sought to add free-market reforms to the federal sugar program, which protects growers and producers of cane and beet sugar. The program limits domestic production, restricts foreign imports, puts a floor under growers’ prices and requires the government to buy crop surpluses for sale at a loss to the ethanol industry. Its supporters note that the sugar program operates at no cost to taxpayers, while critics say it indirectly taxes consumers by increasing food prices. Debate on the five-year farm bill is to resume June 3. A yes vote was to add market forces the federal sugar program.

Voting yes: Tammy Baldwin, D; Ron Johnson, R.

FOOD STAMPS CUTS: Voting 40 for and 58 against, the Senate on Tuesday refused to trim $30 billion from the $800 billion, 10-year authorization for food stamps in a five-year farm bill that remained in debate (S 954, above). Known formally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, food stamps already were cut by $4 billion over 10 years in the Senate bill and would be reduced by $20 billion over 10 years in a farm bill pending in the House. A yes vote backed the amendment.

Voting yes: Johnson.

Voting no: Baldwin.

GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS: Voting 27 for and 71 against, the Senate on Thursday refused to give states authority to require genetically engineered foods sold within their boundaries to be labeled as such. This was a bid to devolve powers now reserved to the federal Flood and Drug Administration, which requires the labeling of more than 3,000 ingredients and additives but not those pertaining to genetic engineering. The amendment was proposed to S 954 (above). A yes vote backed the amendment.

Voting no: Baldwin, Johnson.

TOBACCO SUBSIDIES: Voting 44 for and 52 against, the Senate on Thursday defeated an amendment to prohibit federal subsidies of crop insurance for tobacco farmers, a benefit that costs taxpayers $3 million annually. Taxpayer-subsidized crop insurance is available to a wide range of crops, including tobacco, in a pending farm bill (S 954). A yes vote backed the amendment.